University of California, Davis, veterinarians led a team that has found a link between some popular grain-free, legume-rich dog diets and a type of nutritional deficiency and canine heart disease known as taurine-deficient dilated cardiomyopathy.
Can grain free dog food cause heart problems?
As grain-free pet foods rose in popularity, vets started noticing a potential connection between dogs who were on a grain-free diet and a type of heart disease called canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM).
What are the dangers of grain free dog food?
According to a warning from the Food and Drug Administration released last week, grain-free food might be giving dogs a life-threatening heart problem called dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM. The science is still preliminary, and it's based on a potential association between diet and heart disease in fewer than 600 dogs.
Does grain free dog food cause heart problems 2021?
Woodall said scientific studies have shown grain-free diets can lead to dilated cardiomyopathy, which is a thinning of the heart wall that can lead to heart failure. If the problem is caught early enough, the vet said the problem can be resolved.
What is the most common cause of dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs?
Causes of DCM in Dogs The incidence of DCM in dogs increases with age and usually affects dogs that are 4-10 years old. Although the definitive cause of DCM in dogs is unknown, the disease is believed to have several factors, including nutrition, infectious disease and genetics.
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